What Event Technologies Actually Drive Engagement?

I love filming cars, there is most defiantly a buzz that goes with it and having worked on a number of car shows, films and channels I know that there is always a heightened buzz around any automotive event.

I’m particularly interested in what elements make a really engaging event. Whether it’s the launch of a new model, showing of the latest styling, design, in car tech, engines and eco cars, road shows, track days or motor shows, these events need to satisfy a very discerning audience and convert into big-ticket sales.

So, here are a few examples of the automotive world using really effective and engaging event technologies, and my thoughts on why they work.

Top Event Technologies Used By The Automotive Industry

Press, Reveals and Launch Parties

At the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed BMW erected a huge 10m BMW Dashboard in the BMW Pavilion. This gave live updates from the festival and from fans on social media, as well as acting as a backdrop for exclusive interviews from BMW Brand Ambassadors such as Murray Walker, Tiff Needell and Jake Humphrey.

The image below gives you some idea of the scale of it. Social media streaming is particularly effective at building a buzz around an event as it happens, reaching larger audiences of likeminded individuals.

Motor Shows, Trade Shows and Motor Expos

This US ‘reveal’ of the 2015 VW Golf resonates strongly with me. Our video production arm here at NRG Digital found this innovative use of video at a live event very encouraging. So often brands launch new products (cars in this case) with a staid and conventional corporate video, “oh yes there’s a car driving around the Nürburgring.” This one is different.

In this case the car remains stationary and the use of 3d projection mapping allows the video to do all the work.

Revivals, Festivals and Road Shows

Motor shows are another major feature of the automotive industries’ event calendar. Unlike exclusive launch events, track days and road shows, engagement with the brand is essential if you don’t want attendees to wander over to your competitor’s exhibit.

At last March’s Geneva Motor Show tech was everywhere, although journalists reported struggling at times to get a WiFi connection. The tech was in the cars: from mobile phone mirroring tech to full mobile WiFi hotspots and web browsing, there was a massive focus on integrating mobile and online technology into new vehicles.

However it also being employed in the exhibit halls, with brands creating digital environments using digital technologies such as augmented reality (AR); particularly effective when attendees can’t necessarily test drive the product.

Here’s another great example from Volkswagen using Card eMotion’s seeMore app:

Of course, AR is also being used in cars too for improving the driving experience. As these technologies, and others, become both part of the exhibit space and the product too, I can see many opportunities for a truly immersive experience using digital technologies at automotive events.